18. Gordon Neighbourhood House: Perspectives on Food Insecurity Landscapes in Vancouver: Recommendations for Program Delivery, Outreach, and Policy

Organization Information

Organization Name

Gordon Neighbourhood House

Mission and Vision of Organization

Vision

The Vision statement of Gordon Neighbourhood House represents the end goal to our work. Our vision statement is as follows: Gordon Neighbourhood House strives to ensure that the West End of Vancouver is a vibrant and active community, where everyone is empowered to play an active role in civil society.

Mission

The Mission Statement represents our modus operandi, or how we intend to accomplish our vision. Our Mission Statement was revised in April 2020, and reads as follows: Moving together to foster connection and opportunity in our neighbourhood -- for today and tomorrow.

Guiding Principles + Values

Our Values

Diversity and Inclusion: We are children, youth, adults and seniors of all ethnicities, beliefs, cultures, abilities and economic levels. We speak many languages and we are people of all sexual orientations. We seek to foster diverse, multilingual and vibrant environments that welcome and embrace all aspects of who we are. Respect: We are committed to honoring the dignity of each person. We act with integrity and compassion in our relationships, and we are committed to our own self-reflection and growth. We believe everyone has something to contribute and we celebrate the contributions of one another.

Social Justice: We believe that everyone should have the opportunity to participate in social, economic and cultural life, and we are committed to advancing this vision. We seek to embed principles of social justice by applying an equity lens to our work; by fostering participation in decision-making processes and by honoring the rights of others. We are committed to learning about injustices and correcting our role within them. Respecting First Nations & Indigenous Peoples: We recognize that our work is conducted on Squamish, Tsleil-Waututh and Musqueam Land. We are committed to acting with respect for the history, land and laws of these Nations. We recognize the ongoing injustice toward Indigenous peoples in this country, and we are committed to meaningfully addressing the harms perpetuated against Indigenous peoples in all work we do.

Sustainability: We are committed to fostering just and sustainable relationships with the natural world. Innovation and Creativity: We nurture joyful environments that encourage new ideas, initiatives, and the use of everyone's talents and strengths. We focus on the process, rather than the product. We take risks and think outside the box. We celebrate the growth and efforts of each other.

Organizational Excellence: We are committed to loyalty to one another and our shared vision; to upholding and supporting our roles, responsibilities, decisions and processes; to maintaining and nurturing unity and a united front; to acting with integrity, reliability and accountability in fulfilling our commitments; and to solutions-oriented, active participation. Partnerships: We are stronger together. We are committed to working in collaboration with a wide range of partners in pursuit of our vision, including charitable organizations, foundations, businesses, business improvement associations and government.

Contact Information

• Primary Contact Person(s): Jordan Bultitude (they/them)
• Email: [[1]]
• Phone: 6046832554
• Address: 1019 Broughton Street
• Website: Gordon Neighbourhood House

Preferred Method of Contact

• Best method(s) to contact: Email, Phone
• Best day(s) to contact: Mondays, Tuesdays, Wednesdays, Thursdays, Fridays
• Best time(s) to contact: Mornings, Afternoons

Preferred Platform(s) for Remote Collaboration

• In person
• Email
• Google Meet
• PhoneOverview
• Zoom

Project Description

Context: What challenge or issue does the project aim to address?

This project will be a component of Gordon Neighbourhood House’s (GNH) ongoing research, which aims to analyze the root causes of food insecurity in Vancouver, identify how barriers to food security impact different demographics, and develop recommendations for related program delivery, outreach, and policy change. The research will primarily be conducted in the West End and this neighbourhood will be used as a case study, though we will also collect feedback from community members and food justice organizers in different neighbourhoods across the city.

The outcome of our overall research will be a comprehensive, publicly available research guide based on our findings. GNH will prioritize recommendations & solutions that are anti-poverty, intersectional, participant-centred, trauma informed, and community-based. The guide can be used by food justice organizers, policymakers, researchers, community members, and more to support them in improving upon, advocating for, and measuring the impact of food justice & anti-poverty solutions.

The Winter 2022 LFS 350 students will support and/or co-facilitate community consultations so that GNH staff can better understand what the West End community would like to see reflected in our research. This is an important step as the neighbourhood house is looking to work with the community from the beginning to the end of the research process and ensure their wishes drive its direction. Students will also have the opportunity to review, synthesize, and analyze the findings from the community consultations.

The option of interviewing or transcribing interviews with community members is pending criminal record checks and REB approval. If a student is unwilling or unable to obtain a criminal record check, their focus will be transcribing and coding appropriate interviews to categorize findings and identify patterns in the data. In addition, any student that is unable to participate in-person will have an option to complete this project entirely remotely.

Students will be asked to sign confidentiality waivers to ensure that participant information remains private and anonymous when requested. This component of GNH’s research project is essential in understanding different perspectives on food insecurity in Vancouver and will play a pivotal role in informing the recommendations we make.

Main Project Activities and Deliverables

• Assisting GNH staff with community consultations, including the possibility of co-facilitation
• Outreach to research participants & scheduling consultations/interviews
• Transcribing & coding interviews
• Media creation such as infographics, posters, and/or videos (if time permits)
• Program design (pending project timelines)

Student Assets and Skills (preferred or required)

• Strong research background or interest (required)
• Interest in food justice, security, and/or sovereignty (required)
• Able to maintain strict confidentiality agreements (required)
• Operates from a trauma-informed, intersectional, and anti-poverty perspective (required)
• Experience with Microsoft Word and/or Excel (preferred)
• Experience working with vulnerable/targeted populations (preferred)
• Fluent in a language other than English (preferred)

Are there any mandatory attendance dates (e.g. special event)?

• No

Will the project take place online, in person, or a combination?

• Online and in person

Is a criminal record search (CRS) required?

• No

Related Community Service Opportunities for Students

• Assisting with, designing, or leading workshops for seniors, children, and/or the general public on gardening, urban farming, cooking, food literacy, and more food-related topics.
• Any additional volunteer opportunities that arise based on our research findings (e.g. volunteering in program administration, biking food around the city, etc.)

Required Reading

Project/Partner Orientation Materials

Students should review these materials prior to the first partner meeting:

• Panel on Research Ethics. (2018). Tri-Council Policy Statement: Ethical Conduct for Research Involving Humans – TCPS 2 (2018), Chapters 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 9, and 10.
• Tarasuk V. & Mitchell A. (2020) Household food insecurity in Canada, 2017-18. Toronto: Research to identify policy options to reduce food insecurity (PROOF). Toronto: Ontario.
• Kim, S. & van Enckevort, J. (2021). Community-Centered Food Support and Care for All: Transforming Dignified Food Access in Vancouver. A Convening Grant report from Kiwassa Neighbourhood House. Vancouver: British Columbia.

Additional Project/Partner Orientation Materials

The following will be provided at the first community partner meeting:

• The students can expect to attend an in-person or online volunteer orientation.